UNetbootin ("Universal Netboot Installer") is a cross-platform utility that can create live USB systems and can load a variety of system utilities or install various Linux distributions and other operating systems without a CD.
This installation mode creates bootable USB flash drives and bootable USB hard disk drives; it is a live USB creator.
Multiple installs on the same device are not supported.
This installation mode performs a network installation or "frugal install" without a CD, similar to that performed by the Win32-Loader.
UNetbootin's distinguishing features are its support for a great variety of Linux distributions, its portability, its ability to load custom disk image (including ISO image) files, and its support for both Windows and Linux. Unlike Wubi, and similar to the Win32-Loader, when installing to hard disk, UNetbootin installs to a partition, not a disk image, thus creating a dual-boot setup between Linux and Windows.
What is unetbootin?
unetbootin by unetbootin Team is open-source Windows software in the disk & usb tools category. It ranks 4th by popularity among disk & usb tools in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2007. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, macOS and BSD.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable). It needs Windows 10 or newer.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 54,921 times. The source code on GitHub (unetbootin/unetbootin) has 2,464 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 19 of our languages. Similar programs include Rufus, Ventoy and smartmontools.
Project description on GitHub: “UNetbootin installs Linux/BSD distributions to a partition or USB drive”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, macOS and BSD
- Mature project (since 2007)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: unetbootin is an open-source disk & usb tool tool for 64-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down.
Screenshots
Is unetbootin safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
65BA5FF090BE1CC96DEC40509C9002582F4663634CB63B311941321907701483· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the unetbootin/unetbootin repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on November 2, 2026.
- No dangerous workflows10
- Code review9
- Restricted token permissions0
- Actively maintained0
- No binaries in the repository0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Licence declared0
- Branch protection0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 702Latest | February 4, 2021 | — | 64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id unetbootin.unetbootin -echoco install unetbootin -yscoop install extras/unetbootinProgram files (.exe): unetbootin.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- unetbootin Team
- Category
- Disk & USB tools
- Licence
- GPL-2.0 or Greater
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/unetbootin/unetbootin
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, macOS, BSD
- Version
- 702
- Released
- February 4, 2021
- First release
- 2007
- Added to the catalogue
- August 18, 2022
- Versions listed
- 1
- Chocolatey downloads
- 54,921
- Downloads on ExeAtlas
- 3
- GitHub stars
- 2,464
- GitHub forks
- 323
- Website
- unetbootin.github.io
- winget ID
- unetbootin.unetbootin
- Chocolatey package
- unetbootin
- Scoop package
- extras/unetbootin
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to unetbootin
See all ›-
Rufus4.15A utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc.Open source840.1K ↓ -
Ventoy1.1.18Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files.Open source206.5K ↓ -
smartmontools7.5smartmontools contains utility programs (smartctl, smartd) to control/monitor storage systems using the Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology System (S.M.A.R.T.) built into most modern ATA and SCSI disks. It is derived from smartsuite.Open source853.5K ↓ -
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Frequently asked questions
Is unetbootin free?
Yes. unetbootin is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 or Greater licence.
Is unetbootin safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install unetbootin with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Which Windows versions does unetbootin support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 64-bit.
Does unetbootin run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Can I use unetbootin without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to unetbootin?
Rufus, Ventoy, smartmontools, gdu and WinFsp 2024 Beta2. The alternatives page compares them.
